Packaging machine



March 4, 1969 G. c. CURRIE, JR 3,430,412

PACKAGING MACHINE INVENTOIL GAUI/E? C'. CURP/E JA.

March 4, 1969 G. c. cURRlE, JR

PACKAGING MACHINE Original Filed O01.. 30, 1962 Sheet 2 of INV NTOR. 6fm/H? cliff/mf JA? 325%; 5? Mme March 4, 1969 G. c. CURRIE, 1R 3,430,412

PACKAGING MACHINE original Filed oct. 5o, 1962 sheet 3 of s 7`l`. NN". 4Z@ 5M 6 www w- 6451' l? f' NVENTOR. GFl/f? C. CURE/E Jr? United States Patent O 3,430,412 PACKAGING MACHINE Grover C. Currie, Jr., Charlotte, N.C., assignor to Weyerhaeuser Company, Tacoma, Wash., a corporation of Washington.

Original application Oct. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 234,155, now Patent No. 3,254,470, dated June 7, 1966. Divided and this application Feb. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 529,521

U.S. Cl. 53-48 1 Claim Int. Cl. B651) 21/24 ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for forming a paper blank, into a tubular carton with beveled side panels, around a group of containers which has forming dies on an endless belt mounted above a conveyor for the containers. Each die has a horizontal top portion which contacts a carton top panel, beveled side elements which contact the beveled side panels of each carton, and a spike which engages a finger hole in the cartons.

This is a division of my copending application Ser. No. 234,155, filed Oct. 30, 1962, and now Patent No. 3,254,470.

This invention relates to an apparatus for forming an article package.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will maintain the upper and lower panels of a carton in alignment during passage through a packaging machine.

Other objects will become readily apparent upon a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the -apparatus of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational View of the apparatus of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a modification of the apparatus.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown in conjunction with other elements of a packaging machine which are not pertinent to the present invention.

It is often necessary to maintain the top and bottom panels of a carton 40 in alignment before the carton is fastener together. The apparatus of the present invention performs this operation. In both modifications, abutments 313 on the chains 198 of the main conveyor 122 carry the bottom panels of the cartons and the enclosed articles through the apparatus. An abutment 592 engages the rear edge of the upper panel of the carton and carries it forwardly in alignment with the rear edge of the base panel of the carton. The 4abutments 592 are flxedly mounted 0n and spaced around an overhead chain 593, which trains around a drive sprocket 594 and idler sprockets 595, 596, 597, and 598. The idler sprockets 596, 597, and 598 are rotatably journaled to shafts that are mounted 0n the overhead plow 377, and are positioned so that the chain 593 will be even with the lower edge of the plow 377, and abutments 592 will extend below the lower edge of the plow.

The drive sprocket 594 is iixedly mounted on a drive shaft 599. A gear 603 is also fixedly mounted to the shaft 599 and meshes with a reversing gear 604, fixedly mounted on a shaft 605. The shaft 605 has a sprocket 606 fixedly mounted on its outer end. The sprocket 606 is engaged by a chain 607 which trains around both the sprocket 606 ICC and a sprocket 608, fixedly mounted on the drive shaft 192 of the mainconveyer 122. A suitable choice of sprocket and gear diameters maintains the overhead chain 593 and overhead abutments 592 in synchronization with the main conveyer 122 and the abutments 313.

It may b e necessary for the overhead conveyer to positively engage the carton and, possibly, form the upper panels around the articles. Such a conveyor is shown in FIGURES 4-6.

This overhead conveyer is also operated from the drive shaft 192 of the main conveyer 122 through a reversing gear 608, fixedly mounted to the drive shaft 192, which meshes with a gear 609, fixedly mounted to a shaft '610. A sprocket 615, which is xedly mounted on the outer end of the shaft 610, drives a chain 616 which trains around an idler sprocket 617 and a conveyer drive Sprocket 618. The idler sprocket 617 is adjustably fastened to the vertical mounting plate 619. The adjustable mounting is -by screws 621 which extend through slots 622 in the mounting member 623, and allows the tension on the chain 616 to be adjusted.

The chain 616 drives the sprocket 618 of the overhead conveyer. This sprocket and the drive sprocket 632 of the overhead conveyer are fixedly mounted on the shaft 624, and the frame `633 of the overhead conveyer is rotatably mounted on the shaft 624. The frame 633 has a number of transverse mounting members which support the idler sprockets of the overhead conveyer. The chain 644 of the overhead conveyer trains around these sprockets and carries the forming and aligning members of the overhead conveyer into contact with the cartons and carries these members forwardly with the cartons.

Each of the forming members 645 and 646 for each carton contacts the top panels of the carton between the articles and forms the top panels around the tops of the articles. The forming of the panels is performed by a fiat horizontal top portion 647 and beveled side elements 648. The juncture between the top portion 647 and the side elements 648 may be undercut for the tops of the articles. The first forming member 645 to contact the carton has a centrally disposed spike 649 having -a rounded outer end which engages the forward finger hole of the carton and carries the upper panel of the carton through the interlocking operation in alignment with the base panel of the carton.

The forming members 745 and 646 are held on the carton -by a tension spring 650 which extends between a post 1651 on the frame 633 and an aperture 652 in a vertical transverse plate 653 mounted on an upwardly extending guide plate 654. The upper section of the guide plate 654 has a notch 656 in which the post 651 of the frame member 633 moves, As may be seen, this Overhead conveyer substitutes for a section of the overhead plow 377.

Spacer elements, such as the spacer elements 657, are provided between each set of forming members 645 and 646.

In both modifications, the drive shaft 192 may be driven by any suitable means. An example is the motor which drives the shaft 192 through a belt 170, a drive shaft 141, a clutch 176, a speed reducer 180, a drive chain 197 and a drive sprocket 189.

While specific details of preferred embodiments have been set forth above, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will, therefore, be understood that what has `been described herein is intended to be illustrative only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for fastening the ends of a paper blank 3 4 together to form a tubular carton, apparatus for mainone of said elements having a protuberance extending taining the panels in alignment comprising: centrally from said upper wall,

each die being aligned with an abutment, and

a conveyer, a

said conveyer and said endless belt being synchronized.

abutments on said eonveyer for engaging the trailing edge of the lower panels on the carton and advancing 5 References Cited said carton on said conveyer,

an endless belt mounted over said conveyer, UNITED STATES PATENTS forming dies on said belt for forming and advancing 2,986,857 6/ 1961 Ganz 53-48 the upper panels of said carton, 3,007,293 11/ 1961 McGihon 53-48 X each die comprising a pair of elements, 10

each element having a planar upper wall and outwardly TRAVIS S- MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

tapering side walls, and R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner. 

